The House Rules Committee has voted down an amendment that would have stopped the Trump administration from giving taxpayer money to people who were criminally charged in connection with the January 6, 2021 Capitol riot. The Republican-controlled committee rejected the measure, leaving the door open for those individuals to potentially receive funds.
The $1.8 billion fund was created as part of a settlement between Trump and the Internal Revenue Service, announced on Monday. It is meant to compensate people who say they were unfairly targeted by the government. Critics, however, argue the fund could be used to benefit convicted felons who attacked police officers on January 6th.
According to Mediaite, the settlement also includes a provision that bars the IRS from investigating Trump, his family, or his businesses for past tax issues. The Justice Department has said the fund will be run by a commission chosen by Trump’s attorney general, who can be fired by the president at any time.
Republicans blocking the amendment shows a willingness to let Jan. 6 rioters benefit from public money
The amendment was put forward by Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA) during a Rules Committee hearing. He said, “I move the committee add a new section to the rule providing immediate consideration of HR 7711, the No Rewards for January 6 Rioters Act, so this bill would prohibit the use of federal funds to compensate individuals who were prosecuted for their involvement in the attack on the United States Capitol on January 6, 2021.”
After the Republican-controlled committee voted the amendment down, McGovern expressed his anger on social media. He wrote, “Republicans just voted AGAINST my amendment to stop Trump’s $1.8 billion slush fund from bailing out the convicted felons who assaulted cops on January 6th. You read that right. They blocked us from even debating the issue on the House floor. Beyond shameful.”
This comes at a time when some Senate Republicans are pushing back against Trump’s spending plans, showing that not all members of his party are in full agreement with his agenda. The Justice Department has also separately announced it will set up a fund to compensate people who were described as “victims of lawfare and weaponization.”
According to CNN, that fund will also be run by a commission chosen by Trump’s attorney general. Critics say this fund, too, could be used to benefit Trump supporters involved in the Capitol attack. The Trump administration has pointed to the Keepseagle case as a potential precedent for this kind of fund.
That case was a class action lawsuit brought by tribal farmers and ranchers who claimed the Department of Agriculture discriminated against them, and it was settled in 2011 with a compensation fund.
Critics, however, say the two situations are not comparable and that the administration is using the Keepseagle case to justify what they see as a political fund for Trump’s allies. In a separate but related dispute, the Senate’s top Republican blocked Trump’s attempt to fire the parliamentarian who was standing in the way of his $220 million ballroom plan.
As one critic noted, “This secret slush fund should be an outrage to every American, no matter your politics.” With the Rules Committee’s vote, the Republican-controlled House has made it possible for the Trump administration to continue directing taxpayer money toward individuals who took part in the Capitol riot, with no floor debate allowed on the matter.
Published: May 20, 2026 11:15 am